Araia opened the 2006 regular season with a win at the 33rd annual Stanford Invitational as the Cardinal claimed team and individual victories in all four races. Araia covered the 8,000 meter long course in 23:31 on the Stanford Golf Course. He paced a squad that placed three runners in the top 10 for the 8,000 meters, scoring 42 points to Santa Barbara's 56 points.
Stanford also captured individual and team wins in the men's 4,000 meters, the women's 4,000 meters and the women's 6,000 meter races.

This is Araia's first Stanford/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honor. Araia and the rest of the Cardinal cross country squad returns to action on October 14 at the Pre-NCAA meet in Terre Haute, Indiana.